VZCZCXYZ0018
RR RUEHWEB

DE RUEHZP #1578/01 2232004
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 112004Z AUG 06 ZDS
FM AMEMBASSY PANAMA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 8732
INFO RUEHZA/WHA CENTRAL AMERICAN COLLECTIVE

UNCLAS PANAMA 001578 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
C O R R E C T E D COPY - SIPDIS AND SENSITIVE ADDED 
 
DEPARTMENT PLEASE PASS TO DRL (GMAGGIO) 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: SOCI
SUBJECT: SAN MIGUELITO AND PANAMAQS GROWING GANG PROBLEM 
 
 
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SUMMARY 
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¶1.  (SBU)  Gang activity in Panama is growing, but so too is the 
GOPQs awareness of the problem as well as GOP and civil society 
response to it.  Gang activity is evident not only in the capital 
itself, but also in small communities such as San Miguelito, also 
part of the metropolitan area of Panama City.  Pro-active groups, 
however, are having a positive influence on at-risk teenagers around 
the country. END SUMMARY. 
 
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Gangs in San Miguelito 
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¶2. (SBU)  The San Miguelito Police Chief, Subcommissioner Christian 
Hayer, said there were multiple gangs even in his district, during 
his July 26th meeting with POL Intern (LEGATT NOTE: Most of the gang 
activity takes place in the metropolitan area; San Miguelito is 
outside of the municipality of Panama City, but still within the 
metro area. END LEGATT NOTE). Hayer asserted that socio-economic 
strife, broken homes with only one parent, and the lack of positive 
role models contributed to Qthe social derailing of potentially 
upstanding citizens.Q  Gangs in San MiguelitoQs high-crime area 
usually began with a score of members, according to Hayer, but then 
usually divided into numerous smaller groupings in the wake of 
inevitable disagreements among gang members. This proliferation of 
groups was Qa double-edge sword,Q Hayer explained. One larger group 
might allow the Panamanian National Police (PNP) to track gang 
members closely, but such a larger group also created fertile ground 
for growth of particular gangs, including internal structure and 
hierarchy to some level. On the other hand, explained Hayer, small 
factions made it hard to track gangs and their members.  For 
example, according to Hayer, former members of the QLos Sopranos 
gang had recently formed the QCorazones NegrosQ gang.  The 
proliferation of smaller gangs, in turn, fostered internal gang 
rivalries and greater hostility among gangs, thereby leading to a 
more dangerous environment. 
 
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San Miguelito Gang Profile 
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¶3.  (SBU)  According to Hayer, the median age of gang members was 
between twelve and seventeen.  These minors quickly became involved 
in committing armed robberies, homicides, and, in some cases, the 
trafficking of drugs and firearms.  Victims of gang violence in San 
Miguelito were usually mini-market employees/owners, bus riders, and 
average pedestrians, Hayer noted. While smaller gangs might feed 
their drug habits with the proceeds gleaned from armed robbery, 
larger gangs with established structure engaged in much broader and 
more serious criminal activity.  Hayer explained that ring leaders 
of larger gangs owned nice homes in residential neighborhoods as 
well as luxury cars.  Hayer also confided that former police 
officers were some of the identified ring leaders.  Likewise, 
prominent individuals, like Thonya Xiomara Hubbard (a/k/a Madame 
Thonya), who was accused to having run a prostitution ring that 
provided the services of minors, also lived in nearby residential 
neighborhoods and enjoyed a luxurious lifestyle. Ring leaders, Hayer 
clarified, were not likely to be found doing robberies or selling 
drugs, but rather they only gave orders sending lower ranking gang 
members to commit felonies.  Ring leaders from larger gangs were 
heavily involved with drug trafficking, usually involving ties to 
Colombian nationals. 
 
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Confronting the Challenge 
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¶4. (SBU) Hayer has assigned two groups of officers to address the 
gang issue, one assigned to collecting intelligence and the other 
conducting raids and other operations against gangs.  Hayer asserted 
that his intelligence units had most gangs under surveillance. 
There had not been any major crackdowns on gang activity in San 
Miguelito, however, stemming in part from ignorance about QLaw 48, 
a law approved in August 2004 that categorized and detailed 
sentences for criminal gang activity and the sale and possession of 
prohibited firearms.  Hayer admitted that he had not seen the text 
of Law 48 Quntil a couple of weeks earlier.Q  Hayer hopes to begin 
implementing Law 48 in San Miguelito within the next three months. 
Whereas before, PNP could not detain identified gang members, Law 48 
empowered the PNP to act against individuals who joined or 
associated with three or more persons with the intent of committing 
criminal activity. If convicted under this law, gang members could 
be sentenced to one-three years imprisonment.  Ring leaders or those 
who support gang activity economically or logistically would face 
three-five years imprisonment. 
 
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Tug-O-War Battle 
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¶5. (SBU)  Hayer commented that PanamaQs judicial system was too 
lenient on minors. Adolescents who committed serious crimes were 
arrested and out on the streets a couple of days, if not hours, 
later.  PNP Director Rolando Mirones expressed his concern over the 
current law in his July 28 comments to newspaper Panama America. 
Concerned by the lack of action taken by judicial authorities in 
implementing different aspects of the law, Mirones asserted that the 
law sided with criminal adolescents and did not protect them from 
themselves or protect society. 
 
¶6. (SBU)  Reflecting his frustration in dealing with the Juvenile 
Court System, Hayer complained that a juvenile only needed to 
complain about rough treatment or tight handcuffs to win a judgeQs 
empathy and subsequent release.  To be successful in addressing the 
gang problem, Hayer called for a unified government approach and 
cooperation among different government entities, including the PNP 
and Juvenile Court System. 
 
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QBE THE CHANGE YOU WANT TO SEE 
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¶7. (SBU)  Non-profit groups, as well as private businesses, however, 
are working to prevent adolescents from falling into criminal 
activities.  QYouth Against CrimeQ (JCD), for example, modeled 
itself after Youth Crime Watch of America and motivated young adults 
to avoid falling into drugs, prostitution, and illicit activity. 
JCD Vice President Giovanni Fletcher commented that JDC Chapters 
were active in schools around Panama and held different activities 
such as forums and sports matches as ways of keeping kids off the 
streets.  Although many great programs such as the one above were 
active, Fletcher confessed that many organizations fell into 
economic hardship and were unable to continue prevention programs 
around the country. The USG granted JCD USD 40,000 both in 2005 and 
2006 to fund one of its programs in the province of Colon. 
 
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COMMENT 
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¶8. (SBU) PanamaQs gang situation is nowhere near as serious as it is 
in other Central American countries and should not be compared to 
the chaos that maras cause elsewhere in Central America. Although 
gangs in Panama try to emulate the prominent gangs of Central 
America by tattooing themselves that identify them with their gang, 
there is no sort of national network or hierarchy of the same level 
found here. (LEGATT NOTE: Authorities are aware of the gang problem 
and have control of it. END NOTE). Awareness of the problem early on 
has prevented gang proliferation. The incorporation of proactive 
measures learned from U.S. police anti-gang units has kept Panama 
from progressing into the mara model found in other Central American 
countries. However, greater intergovernmental cooperation is vital 
if the GOP seeks to continue preventing an exacerbation of gang 
activity in country. An awareness that Panama may need to reevaluate 
its laws on minors is growing.  END COMMENT. 
 
EATON